I woke up after my well deserved nap with an aching chest. That and a red eye that was watching me intensely.
"Uhm, can I help you with something Laura?" I asked her nervously. She kept looking at me for a few seconds.
"How long are you going to stay here?" she asked me.
"He'll be staying here until the mission is finished. Now there're still a few things that we need to discuss." Clarissa stated. She stood in the doorway with her arms crossed. She closed the door behind her and sat in the chair between our two beds. Laura and I remained silent, waiting for Clarissa to start talking.
"Garisaka, does Laura know WHY you can control an IS?" she asked me.
"Yes, I told her while we watched flying pigs play football." I responded sarcastically. Laura looked at me with a small glare. Okay, okay I'll try to find something more original next time.
"How about showing respect?" I heard Laura's voice in my head. What the…
"Holy crap, we can read each other's mind!" I mentally yelled.
"this is quite interesting, I'll look deeper into it." G said.
"Could you please stop staring at each other and focus?" Clarissa asked us. When we looked back at her she continued her explanation.
"Since the two of you are going to work together there're a few things that'll have to be told. First of all, the system that transformed Laura."
"What the hell was that thing?" I asked Clarissa.
"The Valkyrie Trace system. It is a program developed to increase the performance of the IS by mimicking the former winners of the Mondo Grosso. Due to various reasons including pilot safety, the research, development, and application of this system is strictly banned by the IS Treaty. But a part of the German Military researched it and put it in Laura's IS without our knowledge." Clarissa spat that last part out like it was poisonous.
"Why the hell did they install it in Laura's IS if it's so dangerous?" I asked Clarissa.
"Because I'm artificially created." Laura answered. I looked at her surprised.
"Artificially?" I asked her confused.
"I was created through artificial human means, born out of a metal womb. I was created, born, bred and trained to fight. That's my only objective. To me, the name Laura Bodewig is nothing more than only a code to identify myself with." Laura said emotionlessly. Wow, That's just sad.
"Bullshit." I exclaimed. Laura looked at me in sheer anger.
"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU KNOW, HUH? TELL ME!" she screamed at me.
" I know that you at least have people here who care about you. You keep dragging yourself down because you believe that you're only an experiment, but that ain't true. You're still a HUMAN. Just because you're artificially created doesn't matter. And what's that about Laura Bodewig being a code? It's your name, the prove that you're a human and that you can be whoever you want."
Laura looked still angry at me.
"Like you know what I've been through." She huffed. I took off my shirt and she saw the scars and the IS Core in my body.
"I think I've been through worse. Have you been sold like cattle by someone you thought that would protect you? Did you have to go painful experimentations, drugs that were focused on remodeling my body so I could pilot an IS? I've been balancing on the agonizing verge of life and death for FIVE YEARS, and I even died in the end. But I was brought back as the ultimate experiment, thanks to the Core in my body. You might've been artificially created, but you got to keep your humanity. I didn't even had that luxury. So don't think that you have the worst fate, humanity will always find a way to screw someone else even harder. "
Before any of the two could respond, I put my shirt back on and left. I wandered around the base for a while until I ran into Miyabi.
"Yo Thief, you look a little depressed. Wazzup?" he asked me with a grin.
"Just some unwanted memories that came back." I replied glumly. Miyabi looked at me for a few seconds before he grabbed my collar and dragged me away.
"How old are you?" he asked me.
"Fifteen."
"Close enough. Let's go for a drink."
"I can still walk you know."
"Oh right. Sorry kiddo." When let go of me I adjusted my collar and walked alongside him in silence. When we got to the bar, my eyes opened in amazement. The whole place was designed like it could be an old pub in Berlin. They even had the German flag hanging out, and the ones of a few other countries. Rock from the nineties played through the speakers and I saw a stereotypical bartender behind the bar.
"Swarchzer Hase is founded by the German army, but we also got pilots and other employees from other countries who'd wanted to help, so that's why we have the flags from other countries hanging as well." Miyabi explained while we walked towards the bar. We sat down right in front of the bartender.
"Igor, bring me the usual drink and also something for the new blood." Miyabi said with a Dracula impersonation. Igor, the bartender looked at me before he grabbed a bottle of vodka and put it in front of Miyabi.
"How experienced are you with alcohol, Boy? And I am Sergei, not Igor like Book Keeper likes to call me." Igo, I mean Sergei asked me.
"I've only had some wine, and why does he call you Igor?" I asked him.
"Because it fits him." Miyabi said with a smile. Sergei grabbed a glass and filled it with some kind of beer.
"This is Weiss bier .Perfect for new blood to learn how to drink." Sergei explained to me. I wanted to grab the money in my pocket to pay, but Sergei dismissed that thought with a wave of his hand.
"Book Keeper wants to let you drink while under age, he may pay for it as well." Sergei said while looking accusingly to Miyabi.
"Oh come on, that's unfair!" Miyabi yelled out.
"Maybe for you, but you don't hear me complaining." I said while tasting the beer. It's kinda bitter, it may take me a while to get used to it.
"I like this kid, he knows when to seize opportunities." Sergei said with a smile.
"So kiddo, what's it like to be one of the two guys in all girl high school?" Miyabi asked me with a perverted grin, obviously trying to get the heat off of him. And it worked, since nearly every guy in the bar started circling around me to hear an answer. The women looked annoyed by their reaction.
"What the hell are you guys imagining? It's not all that fun with the other guy being a spineless dense idiot." I exclaimed.
"Whaddaya mean?" A guy asked me.
"Simple. We're the only two guys there and because of that, girls swarm us the whole time. Hell, if I even want to make it to class in one piece, I have to jump out of the window of my room on the fifth floor!" I told them agitated. A few men groaned in sympathy.
"Don't you like the attention?" a woman asked mockingly.
"Not if I'm treated like an collectible no. And my girlfriend's jealousy fits don't really help either. She even kissed me while the whole school saw it just to claim me." I said with a small smile.
"Awww, he's whipped." Miyabi said in a sugar sweet voice. Most of the guys started laughing. One of the women stood up and grabbed me by the arm.
"Come sit with us, we want to know more about your girlfriend." The woman said while she looked with a glare at the males. I took my drink and followed her. At the table, the girls started to barrage me with questions.
"Who's your girlfriend?"
"What's she like?"
"Is the instructor still in the Academy?"
"How far have you gone?"
"Yes, how far have you gone?" Laura asked. I turned around in surprise. Since when has she been behind me?
"Lieutenant wants to see you right now, so come along." Laura said before turning around and leaving. I had no other choice but to follow her. I sped up my pace until I walked right next to her.
"Why does Clarissa wants to talk to me?" I asked cautiously. Laura looked at me and just shrugged.
"I don't know. She just told me to get you and then to report at her office." She said indifferently. After that we walked in silence for a minute.
"I'm… sorry for my rant in the infirmary. I shouldn't have vented my anger on you two." I said softly. Ugh, that word 'sorry' really has left a dirty taste in my mouth, yuck. Laura looked mildly surprised at me. Well, coming from her that's probably a good sign… right?
"It's nothing, you were right after all."
"I see…. Wait, wut?" I asked surprised.
"I still am me, even if I'm not naturally conceived. So for reminding me about that.. uhm, how do you say this?" she started blushing. Aww, it's kinda cute how she can't say 'thank you'. I just smirked and walked on.
"Are you coming or not?" I yelled after her. She jogged to the place next to me and we continued our way to Clarissa.
We found Clarissa in the debriefing room. It was already darkened and the lay-out of a facility was beamed on the wall. When I closed the door behind me, Clarissa started speaking.
"We will send the two of you on a Black Ops, to gain information on the organization that used young males to make them control an IS. While you are there, you'll have to do three things. First, see if you can't find any data anywhere about their operations, funds etc. . Second place bombs so that we can blow the whole building up when we're finished there. And third and our most top priority." Clarissa turned around and looked in my eyes with a stern look. A photo popped up behind her on the screen . It can't be…
"Get in and get out with Kurasabe Miyuki. Sergeant, I believe that you're acquainted with her." She asked me, So that's what that look means. She wants confirmation.
"It's been seven and a half years, but I'm pretty sure that's my mother we've got to bail out." I said with a fake smirk. Laura narrowed her eye and looked at me suspiciously.
"Lieutenant, is it a good idea to send him on his mission?" Laura asked Clarissa.
"Yes, he is the best choice to go as your partner. His Stealth Ability will help greatly and if it turns into a fight, he can very well defend himself. But the most important part of this plan is his AI." Clarissa stated.
"I see. G hacks into their network while we plant the explosives and bail out the target." I stated seriously. Clarissa nodded.
"I'll begin with explaining the routes in and the guard patrols." Clarissa said.
"When do we leave?" Laura asked
"In three hours."
01.25 04/07/20xx Location: classified
A lonely guard stood watch in the cold weather. His blue eyes were barely seen behind his blond hair. He tried to get some warmth by lighting a smoke. After the first inhaling, his body warmed up a bit. Why did he have to stand guard anyway? It's not like anyone will ever find this place. And even then, the security is too tight and they got some friends in very high places, so they're always left alone. Until now.
Laura broke his neck almost without making a sound. She gently put the body down and motioned me to come over. I looked at the man we just killed. His eyes were wide and his mouth was open, like a scream still wanted to come out. I stared mesmerized to the body. What if…
Laura put her hand on my shoulder. I looked at her and she looked like a stern teacher.
"Don't think about that. It's killed or be killed right now. It might be hard now, but you'll get used to it eventually."
I nodded at her. While we flew to our destination, G explained why we could read each other's mind. It was something about our brains being on the same wave length. It was scientific, hard to follow, but at least I understood the consequence. We could talk to each other mentally since G said 'that she has saved the brain wave length .' Really weird, but it really comes in handy. I followed Laura through the back door. There were two guards watching television. Laura gave me a silenced pistol with a look that said 'Sooner or later you've got to do it.' I sighed in defeat and took the gun. If I've got to do it, then I won't let him suffer. I aimed to the guy on the left and took a deep breath. My hands were shaking slightly. I pulled the trigger and heard a small pop before I saw the guy slumped down. Right after that, the guy on the right was shot by Laura. I was frozen. I really shot someone. I actually killed a person. I should be disgusted with myself, have guilt or something in that sense… but there isn't any feeling. Have I drifted that far away from my human nature, or is being a cold blooded killer in my blood? Laura tapped my shoulder. When I looked at her I saw a hint of worry in her eyes. I nodded to her, showing that I'll be able to go on.
We've been sneaking through the base for 10 minutes now. We've met only a few guards, but they were taken care of quickly. The fact that I didn't have any problem killing people still disturbed me, but I can think about that later. For now focus on the mission. Bail your mom out, plant the bombs, find some information, get the hell out and enjoy some fireworks. Easy as that.
"We have to split up here. I'm going to fetch our target, you go to the mainframe. Rendezvous in 30 minutes outside." Laura told me mentally. I nodded and we each went our way. When I looked back, saw the retreating back of her petite figure. If it's her, she'll make it out. I activated my Stealth System and walked down the dark hall without making a sound. I live pretty well up to my title as a Thief, if I may say so myself. Now, where could I find a computer where all the information stands on?
…
The desk of the boss here of course! His office was somewhere on the seventh floor. I sneaked my way to the seventh floor only to find a major problem. The security. I was about to just walk but G and Superstes warned me.
"What is it?" I asked annoyed.
"put your visor on infrared." Superstes told me. I did it and saw why they stopped me. Laser beams were everywhere in this corridor, not letting any available path open. They probably set off the alarm if I touch even one of them. How the hell can I go pass this? I looked around and saw something that would make my plan a big cliché. The air vents on the ceiling. I carefully took a step backwards and took a grid of the vent so that I could climb in. I barely fitted in, but I could still move. I was thinking about crawling through the vent to the office, but a laser grid made me think a second time about that.
"Maybe if we get close enough I can establish a connection with the computer, but we'll have to minimize the distance between the laser grid and us."
I materialized the Cable Launchers on my forearms and shot them in the vent on my current spot. Then I slowly crawled towards the laser grid. I shot those cables at my previous so that I can safely pull back without having to worry about having enough space to maneuver my arms. I crawled until I was a foot away from the laser grid. I carefully put my arms beside me and pushed myself with my feet until I was an inch away from it. G, Please tell me that you're available to make a connection now.
"yes, and since we don't have a lot of time, I'll just copy everything. It'll take a minute or two to gather all the data though."
Well, it's not like I have anything better to do… except to blow this shithole up. But please do take your sweet time, because we we're definitely not in a hurry and I'm certainly not trying to evade this laser grid that can warn this whole organization of our presence. And after what have probably been the longest 86 seconds of my life, which were spent with having a staring contest with some laser beams, G downloaded all the data. I pulled myself back with the Launch Cables and crawled out of the narrow vent. Now for the fun part. I have ten minutes left to put bombs on seven floors and to get out.
"Garisaka, come in!" I heard Laura over a private link.
"What's wrong Laura?" I asked.
"We've been compromised and are pinned down on the third floor. What's your status?"
"I just downloaded the data and am on the seventh floor. I'll come as fast as I can."
"Okay, I got the package so GET YOUR ASS HERE ASAP!" she yelled over the comm link. I can imagine her angry face while shooting people. Poor bastards.
"Roger. And Laura… try to stay safe until I get there."
I heard a silence for a few seconds.
"S-sure. Bodewig out." hmm, that stutter sounded kinda unnatural. Focus, plant the bombs while you go to Laura's position. Let's just hope I'm not too late.
(Laura POV)
"Roger. And Laura… try to stay safe until I get there."
Why did my face heat up when he said that? I didn't have much time to think about that thanks to the people that opened fire at us. I returned fire while I answered.
"S-sure. Bodewig out."
Ugh, I'm so angry at myself for not being able to respond properly. You're the pride of the German army, so act like it! I heard a gunshot right behind me. Shit, they got behind us! When I looked back, I saw that the guy was shot with his own gun by the package. That woman showed the same smirk that as that guy always shows.
"How about I cover your back?" she asked me. She even has that cocky tone! Just great, we don't need a second Garisaka on the base. I just turned around and started shooting again, not wanting to deal with her?
"So to who do I own this rescue mission?" she asked me.
"Swarchzer Hase. My team mate is on its way to our position." I responded.
"you mean the guy that you like?" she asked me. I didn't answer, but found mine marksmanship suddenly a lot more important. The woman started laughing but kept quiet about the topic.
I really hope that she's worth it. And that Garisaka comes quickly, we're running out of ammo here.
(Haru's POV)
I ran across the floors while planting the bombs and the BITs giving me covering fire. I went down the last flight of stairs and immediately saw a lot of guards in the hallway. Dammit, I forgot on which floor we are.
"Is this the third floor?" I asked them. The guards looked a bit surprised at my question.
"Uhm ,yeah." One answered uncertainly.
"Thank you, and sorry." I said with a smirk. Before he could answer I threw a grenade between them. The smarter ones ran away immediately, while the dumber ones reminded me of the NPCs in that one shooter game I once played, just standing there.
*BOOM*
I ran through the hallways, shooting people that tried to stop me. my Shields deflected the bullets they shot at me and it wasn't even damaged. That makes me wonder just how strong Chi-chan and Houki are. But I'm digressing. I turned around a corridor and was greeted by a blonde woman with waist length hair and piercing green eyes that aimed at me. Both our eyes widened in recognition, but I was the one to recover first and to make a smartass comment.
"Is that the new way of greeting your long lost son?" I asked with a grin. She recovered and smiled.
"Lemme guess, that explosion was your doing?" she asked me.
"Maybe." I said with an innocent look. She sighed.
"Always causing an uproar where ever you go. You were like that since you were little." She said with a small smile.
"At least I keep my life interesting." I retorted. We looked each other in the eyes before we started laughing.
"How about SOME HELP?" Laura yelled angrily. She really looked pissed off, and she's nearly out of ammo. I better help her. I ran towards the remaining group of guards with my spear. They opened fire, but once again the bullets bounced off my shields. Nee-san really outdid herself with the IS. I stabbed the first one in the stomach. I turned my blade around a bit before retracting it and slashing it across another one's chest. The remaining guards tried to run. Tried to being the key words. I threw my spear through a running guard and materialized my assault rifle, shooting the other running guards with quick bursts. Laura and my mother looked at me in surprise.
"What? You said that we've gotta hurry." I said nonchalantly. Mom was the first one that responded.
"Don't you feel any regret killing them?" she asked me.
"I'll think about what I did later. Right now we need to bail you out and blow this building up." I said seriously. Laura looked interested to me.
"Just an hour ago you had problems with killing people." She stated.
"It's like you said, kill or be killed. I learned to adapt quickly thanks to being tortured five years and that's what I need to do right now, so can we please hold the morality discussion until we're somewhere safe?"
"we're gonna need some more ammo then. We're almost out." Laura stated. I turned to here with my trade mark grin.
" Gaming/Warfare 101. When out of ammo, loot the enemies' body."
Well, folks that wraps up chapter 10! Did you love or hate the new development? Leave an answer in the review section. Any kind of review will be accepted, but if you have to flame please try to give solid arguments, not just some random "I hate dis, this is poorly written, you suck." Message without any reason why. But on to answering the reviews.
Victor Petrenko: I gave you the hints to figure it out, I hope you like her.
FangKing2: Sorry about the rush in the VT, I didn't really know how to use it, and I checked about the Swarchzer Regen, and you were R-r-r-r-i I JUST CAN'T SAY IT DAMMIT!
Haru: he just wants to say that you're right.
crazywolf1991: I'm glad that you think this chapter is epic. I hope that this chapter will give you a good dose of epicosity as well.
Our Guild: to be honest, I do not know why she's so pissed off. And poor Utah for having to sit in front of the closet, that's gotta be really boring. And of course I'm breaking the Harem. Let's be honest, Five girls? A guy can't handle that much women without having private lessons from Hugh Hefner.
Tony Stark: Maybe Haru does resemble Tony Stark a bit, but if I may, I shall point out the difference. Tony stark had to build his own suit, that of Haru was already in the Core itself. If you don't understand why, let's take a look at IS deployment with the personal units. In standby mode they resemble a bracelet, earring or something like that. I used the same concept, but Haru's IS is stored in the Core in his body, instead of that it changed into an accessory. I hope that this explanation satisfies you. And I'll admit I had the idea for letting the core shooting a laser beam from Iron Man, but be honest it was kinda cool.
AnimeL0ver00: At least you say something. Not a lot of people take their time anymore to review.
Cappa: I'm kind of a HoukixIchika fan, but that's only because I have a soft spot for tsunderes. IchikaxCharl or IchikaxLaura isn't that bad either in my opinion.
Storyteller of Darkness: thanks for all the tips, you were right in me forgetting the part that Haru still wanted revenge, I should've put that earlier in the story. And let me give you the imaginary trophy for longest review yet for this story.
Well, that's it. until next time and as always, have a nice day.